Nostril expander



Jan. 22, 1924.

, H. R. WOODWARD NOSTRIL EXPANDER Filed Oct.

i atented .lan. 22, 1924.

mitt sijis 'AT-Eta i EFHCE' HENRY R. WQODWARD, OF'WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

nos'rnrr. EXPANDEB.

Application filed October 18, 1922. Serial No. 585,294

This invention is an improvement in nostril expanders to prevent snoring, such as shown in my Patent No. 1,077,574, of November 4, 1913. I I

The object of the present invention is to improve the expander shown in my aforesaid patent so that it will not have to clamp the cartilage of the-nose to retain the expander in place, and instead to so form the expander that it will be securely retained in position in the nose, without discomfort to the wearer, by the engagement of portions of the expander with the fossee of the nose (the slight depressions just inside the nose) whereby the expander will be comfortably and securely retained in position, and when it is desired to remove the expander from the nose, said portions can be readily disengaged from the fossae.

A further object is to so form the nostril en 'aginoportions of the expander that they will insure full passage of air even if the nostrils should be so large or so flexible that expanders shown in my aforesaid patent would be ineffective.

As stated in my aforesaid patent, many persons have nostrils which tend to collapse, thereby restricting or closing the air passages, and the principal use of my expander is to expand the nostrils or maintain them in expanded position so that ample air passages are maintained through the nose, and the wearer is not obliged to open his mouth to getan adequate air supply. The

expanders, when so used, will prevent snorm y mg. ihe expanders are also useful to athletes performing violent exerclses, to ensure a full supply of air to the lungs through the nose.

I will explain the lnvention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the improved expander, and in the .lar as shown claims summarize the improvements whereinthe present invention COIlSlStS. In said drawings:

Fig. lis a front elevation of the expander as applied to the nos indicating by dotted lines the outline of the nose. f v

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the expander looking inwardly.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the expander, indicating by dotted lines the outline of the nose.

Fig. 4 is pander detached. 7 v H The expander is preferably made of a non-corrosive metal wire, but oanbe made a perspective view of the exof any suitable material which will hold its shape and be substantial enough to prevent collapse or partial collapse of the nostrils.

The expander has a central U-shaped portion, the legs of which extend on opposite sides of the middle cartilage of the nose, but do not press against the sides thereof (as they do in my atent #1977574) and the front extremity ofjthis central portion is bent downward asshown at 1, so that when this middle bend of the part is up against the end of the middle cartilage of the nose, the similar opposite members of the device extend upward and into the nostrilcavities, as indicated in Figs. l-3.

The inner or upper ends of each side 1 of the U-shaped portion merges into one end of a small downwardly projecting ring-like bend l" which is adapted to engage a fossa of the nose to retain the expander in'place. From the other ends of said ring the member continues upwardly and inwardly in a short straight portion 1,which merges into a loop 1 which is approxin'iately' semi-circu- 1. the member terminates in, a small bend P, which cannot penetrate the skin or injure the nostrils.

The loops 1 are formed of a size to fit comfortably and nicely within the nasal cavities, above the fossae, and afford sufficient surface to comfortably supportand distribute the pressure upon the nostrils.

In my aforesaid Patent #1,077,57%, the loops are practically parallel with the side ortions l but in my present invention the oops i lie at an angle to each other and the vertical portions of the loops 1 incline Atthe extremity of the loop general similarity outwardly, and the upper portions thereof incline inwardly (see Figs. 1, 2 and 4) so that the ends l of the members are closer together than are the middle. portions of loops 1, as will be seen by reference to the drawings. I a

While my improved expander has some to that shown in my Patent #1,077,57 l, it differs therefrom in three very important features; first, there is no contact between the sides 1 of the u sha'ped portion and the'middle cartilage of the nose, and instead-of such portion clampin the middle cartilage (as in my Patent 1,077 ,574) in my present invention I avoid clamping or pinohingof the middle cartilage, such clamping being very objectionable'to some persons and also lessening the effective expansive flexibility of the expander. Second, the loops 1 of my improved expander instead of inclining inwardly toward each other at their upper sides, as they do in said patented construe tion, lncline outwardly as viewed from above, (see Fig. 1) or below (Fig. 2), and these loops 1 are relatively inclined at such an angle that when viewed from the front as in Fig. 2, they approximately form an oval or circle and will effectively prevent the nostrils however weak or flexible wholly collapsing, or closing against the cartilage,

and thus assure 'fullpassage of air.

Third, the expander is securely held in position by the bends 1 which engage the fossae of the nostril cavities and the slight pressure on the innersides of the nostrils on the loops 1 will cause the rings 1 to remain-in engagement with the fossee of the nose until the expander is disengaged therefrom by hand.

To place the expander in the nose the part 1 of the expander should be grasped with thumb and finger, and the loops 1 inserted into the nostrils of the nose until the loop i is arrested by the cartilage, the expander v-zill then be in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and the bends 1 will engage the fossae of the nose very gently andhold theexpander in proper position without diseomfortto the wearer.

The expander, when in place, will hold the nostrils open so that all the air required by the lungs can be inhaled and exhaled through the nose, and the users mouth will stay closed even when asleep.

What I claim is:

l. A nostril expander comprising similar opposite members and a connecting U-shaped portion, each side member having a part adapted to engage one of the tosses of the nose when the expander is inserted therein, and a comparatively large nostril supporting loop beyond the said part, the loop being inclined outwardly and upwardly and away from the opposite loop on the other memher, and the free extremity of the loop being of a form to preventinjury to the nostrils.

2. The herein described nostril expander having opposite side members connected by a U-shaped portion, each side member having a part at the end of the U-shaped portion adapted to engage a fossa of the nose when the expander is inserted therein, and

having a short straight portion extending from said part and merging into a loop, said loop being inclined outwardly and upwardly and away from the like loop on the opposed member, and the upper portion of such loop curving inwardly and having its free terminal so formed as to prevent injury to the nostrils, the upper portions of the loop inclining inwardly toward the opposed loop.

3. The herein described nostril expander having a central U-shaped portion and opposite side members extending from and forming a continuation of this Li-shaped portion, each side member aaving a ringlike bend at its junction with the il-shapod portion adapted to engage one of the fossee of the nose when the expander is inserted therein, and having a straight portion extending from such bend for a short distance and merging into a comparatively large loop; the loops on the opposite side members inclining outwardly and upwardly and away from each other, and the upper portion of each loop curving inwardly and HENRY n. woonwartn. 

